Parents should inculcate in their young that home with the family is the place where problems confronting them are best addressed, according to an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
In an interview with the Church-run Radio Veritas, CBCP-Episcopal Commission on the Youth executive secretary Fr. Conegundo Garganta said the home is the “best place” to resolve children’s worries.
He also called on parents to learn how to act as “friends” to their troubled young.
“The parents should be the first friends of their children. If the children have problems, they should know that they could count on their parents for help, and not on other people or those who have different principles. The parents and the whole family should learn how to make sure that their children know that the home is the best place where problems can be solved together, where they can feel that they are loved and accepted,” he said.
Garganta said society should also acknowledge that it is right at home or with family that the values and views of the youth are molded.
At home, he said, children should learn “life skills” that would ensure that they would choose the right kinds of friends and avoid bad influences.
The CBCP is preparing for its National Youth Day that will be held in Zamboanga City from Nov. 6 to 10.
About 3,500 delegates from the country’s 86 Roman Catholic dioceses and the Federation of National Youth Organizations are expected to attend the gathering.